Angus nodded without argument. Franks was right. It was late and they couldn't do anything now. They'd turn in what evidence they found, let the forensics unit come in and look over things, and pray something turned up. Other than drive around looking for Johnny's car, they couldn't do much more.

  They said their goodbyes to the Jefferies, then headed out just as forensics was walking in. A part of Angus wanted to stay and see what they might find, but he'd get a text if they did come across anything of interest. As he climbed into Franks' car, he thought about the pain he'd seen in both parents' eyes. One grieving for the loss of her son's life, the other grieving for the loss of his son's freedom, or at least that was what was hopefully going to happen. He had sympathy for both parents. Their pain was just starting, and it would be months before they could find any peace if this all went to court. And for what? Angus still couldn't find any reason anyone had to die. "What makes a fifteen-year-old so angry he does this?"

  "I couldn't tell you. I don't many sane people could." Franks pulled away from the curb. "We may never find out."

  "True." It wouldn't be the first case they'd work where they never found out why it happened, but with this one, he wanted the closure knowing would bring. He wanted that for himself, but more so for the families and friends of those killed.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  Lance heard the buzzing of Angus's phone and for a second, he was tempted to silence it and let him sleep. The thought fled as he thought about who was probably calling and how important a call at five in the morning could be. "Babe, wake up. Your phone." Lance ran his hand over Angus's arm, hating to wake him.

  "Hmm?" Angus stirred.

  "Your phone is ringing. It's probably work." Lance reached over Angus and picked up the phone. Seeing Franks' name on the screen, Lance answered. "Hey, Franks. Give Angus a minute."

  "Sure thing." Franks sounded just as groggy and uncaffeinated as Lance felt.

  "Angus, Franks is on the phone." Lance nudged Angus a bit harder.

  "What time is it?" Angus opened his eyes.

  "Just after five." Lance held the phone toward Angus.

  Angus took the phone. "What's going on?" He cleared his throat as he sat up.

  "I'll go start the coffee." Lance slid out of bed, sure that like most calls in the middle of the night, this would mean Angus was needed for something. As he slipped on his robe, he noticed Haunt sleeping at the foot of the bed and smiled as she got up to follow him out. Once in the kitchen, he flipped on the lights and went to pull out the coffee filter and grounds. They'd tried the pods for a week, but found they went through too much coffee to make them cost effective. They were better off using the twelve-cup pot and brewing it.

  As he woke up a bit more, Lance realized that the house was quiet, and the backyard appeared empty. When he'd gone to bed, Bethany, Ray, Gail, and Terrance were there, talking as they played with Haunt. The visit to Tom had been upsetting for Terrance and the ghosts had grouped around him, trying to help him get through facing the fact he was dead, and Tom would go on living without him.

  "Sorry." Angus walked out, running his fingers through his hair. He wore a pair of shorts and nothing else. "Franks is on his way over. The car was found abandoned in front of Gavin's home. We've got officers inside with Gavin and his family right now. No signs of Johnny anywhere. More officers are asking neighbors who have surveillance cameras, but being it's so early in the morning, they are only waking those closest to where the car is parked. They'll wait until later to contact others. They have eyes on the car, but are not approaching yet, hoping Johnny will come back to it."

  "So what are you and Franks going to do so early?" Lance asked as the coffee started to drip.

  Angus shrugged. "We don't have to go in, but since we're up and things are breaking, we decided to go in. Maybe drive around the area, looking for Johnny. I told Franks to call me last night if he heard anything and I'd do the same, so he called. I'm just sorry it woke you up."

  "I can go back to bed. It's Sunday. I don't have plans." Lance pulled three mugs out of the cupboard. "I'm a bit surprised all the ghosts are gone. They were all here when we went to bed."

  "Would they have gone back to the hospital?" Franks asked as he took a seat at the table.

  "Maybe, but I can't see why in the middle of the night. It's just odd. Maybe they're visiting other ghosts or helping Terrance learn how to jump into cars to get places." Lance tightened the tie on his robe.

  "Well, they aren't kids we have to look after. They'll show up." Angus reached out and pulled Lance down on his lap. "Thank you for being so understanding. I know my hours are shit and I get too many calls at odd hours." He nuzzled his nose along Lance's neck. "I'll make it up to you."

  "You have nothing to make up. It's what you do. We find time when we can. If you weren't out there saving lives, I might be a little more upset, but I see the good you do. I'd never stand in your way or complain." Lance rested his head on Angus's shoulder.

  "It doesn't feel like I'm saving lives this week. I should have protected Terrance better," Angus nearly whispered the words.

  "This wasn't your fault. You did everything you could within the law. Sure, we could have sent the ghosts over to watch over him, but even then, they wouldn't have been able to stop what happened. Sometime events are out of our control and that sucks, but we can't question every decision we make because things go wrong from time to time." Lance understood what Angus was feeling, but he wasn't sure how to help him. There was nothing he could say that Angus didn't already know. He just had to work through it slowly. Every case Angus worked took a toll, but some were worse than others. This one would stick with him for a while. "I'm sorry, it's so hard."

  "Thanks. I just wish I'd done something different. Something more." He hugged Lance, then released him. "I'm seriously going to find a way for us to get some alone time soon."

  "Maybe another weekend trip." Lance kissed him and stood to pour the coffee. "We'll talk about it once this is over."

  "Deal." Angus took the cup that Lance offered him.

  Lance poured two more cups and brought them to the table. When Angus raised a brow, Lance laughed. "Franks is worse than either of us when he doesn't get his coffee, but he's too lazy to make his own this early. Coffee shops aren't open this early on Sunday, so I figured he's going to need it."

  "Smart." Angus grinned. "Not only taking care of me, but my partner too."

  "You're sort of a package deal. At least until Franks finds someone to spoil him." Lance blew over his coffee, then took a sip.

  "That may be a while. He doesn't seem interested in settling down yet. He dates, but he never even brings them to his house." Angus shrugged. "The right one will come around one day." He took a sip of his coffee. "I'm so tired. I'm not sure even coffee can save me today."

  "Want me to make a thermos so you can take some with you?" Lance hated seeing the lines of fatigue on Angus's face.

  "Nah, we'll stop for some later." Angus took another drink.

  "I'm going to go unlock the front door so Franks can come in when he gets here." Lance stood.

  "Stay. I'll do it. I have to go change anyway." Angus took another gulp of coffee, then stood. He bent and kissed Lance before heading out of the kitchen.

  While he waited, Lance looked through some of the ads that had come in the mail yesterday. Cel had mentioned wanting to make steak salads this Friday, and he wondered what he would need. He assumed it would just be a salad with steak in it, but with Cel, anything was possible.

  The front door opened and shut and a minute later Franks walked in. He looked as tired as Lance felt. "Morning." He sank down in the chair and sighed. "Sorry to wake you."

  "It's okay. Coffee is for you." He pushed the third cup he'd poured toward Franks. "Any news?"

  Franks shook his head. "Nothing since I called. I figure we'll drive around and see if we notice him anywhere. After-all, the others are all looking for the kid in his yearbook photo. Angus and I have seen him recently. There's a big difference. He had longer hair in his photo. I thought for sure he'd leave town. I have to admit I was a bit stunned to find that car here locally. I thought someone would pick him up crossing state lines."

  "Maybe he thought he could kidnap Gavin and starve him to death since that's how Gavin feared dying, then found out Gavin was being guarded and had to figure out a new plan." Lance didn't have a clue what the fifteen-year-old was thinking. None of it made sense.

  "Possibly, but at this point, he has to know we're on to him. I'd think he'd be running scared. He had to have a plan for after this was all done, wouldn't he?"

  "One would think, but we don't think like a teen would. He very well could be doing it one thing at a time then coming up with another plan." Lance stared out the back window, again wondering where the ghosts were.

  "Do I need to remind you that I'm not worth shit at five in the morning?" Angus walked out, tucking his shirt into his pants.

  "That's the great thing about working together. We get the best of each other, no matter the time of day." Franks lifted his coffee cup in salute.

  "What's the plan?" Angus sat down and reached for his coffee.

  "Don't really have one. Figured we'd drive around a bit and brainstorm. Try and get into Johnny's mind. Figure out his plan. Officers are talking to his parents again, trying to find out if he has any friends from school or online that he might go to for help. I personally think that's a dead end, but Captain Marshall figured it was worth pursuing. My guess is he was going to attempt to get into Gavin's house, then found the cops there and had to forget about Gavin. Not sure why he left his only means of transportation. Not a lot of places he can go at five in the morning, and on a Sunday, even the buses don't run as often. Getting out of the area won't be easy unless he's hitchhiking." Franks rolled his shoulders.

  "Are we watching his grandmother's house?" Angus asked.

  "We are, but she's actually at the Jefferies' home now. They took her there to be with the family." Franks got up to refill his coffee cup, then offered to fill theirs as well.

  "Thanks." Lance took the full cup.

  "Last one, then we go." Angus took his. "I think he's running scared. No place to go, no one to help him. He's got four murder charges and one attempted facing him. He's realizing his life is over if he doesn't leave town. But with limited money and limited options, where does he go?"

  "Then why dump the car? It's his way out." Lance asked.

  "Maybe he thought they saw him and was scared to go back to the car. It's just a few houses down from Gavin's," Franks said.

  Lance was about to ask a question when Bethany floated into the room. "We found him." She looked excited. "He's at the Fairway Bridge where Gail died. He's just sitting there, staring across the valley."

  Lance stood. "Bethany just came in. Johnny is at the Fairway Bridge. She said he's just sitting there staring into space."

  Franks stood and Angus followed.

  "I don't know how you guys found him but thank you," Angus smiled.

  "I'm calling it in." Franks already had his phone to his ear.

  "We were at Gavin's when he approached the house. He saw the police cars, turned around, and ran down the street. We followed. It was pure luck that Gail saw him out there. I'll tell you more later."

  "Need me?" Lance asked.

  "No, but call if you get any more information." Angus glanced over his shoulder.

  "I'm going with them," Bethany told Lance.

  "Bethany's riding with you," Lance called.

  The sound of the door closing was the only answer Lance got. He sighed as he sat back down at the table and prayed that everything would go smoothly. He didn't like the fact that Johnny was at the bridge. Suicide had to be on his mind with him facing a life in prison for the murders he committed.

  Lance dropped a hand to Haunt's back, brushing his fingertips over her. As tired as he was, there would be no going back to bed. He needed to keep busy so he didn't worry about Angus. With a long sigh, he finished off his cup of coffee, then cleaned up the others and put them in the dishwasher. He'd start with laundry, then vacuum. He'd keep finding simple tasks to keep him busy until he got a call that everything was okay. With the way his luck ran, he'd have the whole house clean and yard manicured before Angus even got home.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Angus glanced at Franks as the call came in that the suspect was in custody. He sighed in relief, glad he wasn't going to have to talk someone out of jumping. He'd find out the details later, but for now, he wanted to get to the station and interview Johnny. "You still with us, Bethany?"

  A cool electrical feeling brushed his arm.

  "Good. Hopefully, the others will join us at the station. I'm guessing Gail and Terrance will want to hear what Johnny has to say." Angus glanced into the back seat as he spoke.

  "Still struggling to get used to that." Franks grinned. "Had she touched me, I might end up going off the road."

  "I've had a lifetime to get used to things. Give yourself time. You've come a long way since finding out about the ghosts hanging around." Angus refocused. "We know he's already got a lawyer, at least I'm assuming he'll be using Ben Tito to represent him. I highly doubt Mr. Jefferies is going to let his son face this on his own."

  "Do you think they'll try him as an adult?" Franks asked.

  "Could go either way. I'd charge him as an adult, but I'm not the D.A.." Angus shrugged. "There's a lot of variables in play. I think a lot of it will come down to how cooperative Johnny is with us. These crimes were horrific. Everything he does and has done will be taken into consideration."

  Franks nodded. "I can't imagine how hard this is for Mrs. Jefferies. Can a person grieve for one son while defending another?"

  "I'm not sure I could, especially if it was a stepson. I get you are supposed to love your step kids as much as your blood children, but in a case like this, I'd think there would have to be a line I couldn't cross." Angus took a deep breath as they neared the police station. "Looks like the news already got wind of things." Several media vans lined up along the curb in front of the station and as Franks pulled into the lot, cameras aimed at the car and reporters screamed questions. With the windows up, Angus couldn't hear them, but he was sure this was going to turn into a media nightmare. Fiona's father had made sure the media kept their focus on the case, giving several interviews through the week and updating the press as each new murder happened. Angus understood the need to keep the public's attention on this, but it sure made his job harder.

  "Damn it. This is going to be a pain." Franks pulled the car into a parking lot.

  "We knew it would happen. Mr. Bloomquist knows better than anyone how to play the media, so he gets exactly the attention he wants. I'd hate to be the D.A. on this case with him breathing down my neck." Angus got out of the car.

  Franks fell into step beside him. "Johnny's a minor. Only so much info can go out from us."

  "I have no doubt the families of the victims won't be worried about Johnny's age." Angus looked back at the mass of cameras still pointed in their direction. It wasn't even seven in the morning and there were at least ten of them. He was sure the number would triple throughout the day.

  It was quiet as they walked into the station, too early for most of the support staff to be on site. Angus ignored the turn toward his office and instead headed to the area where the interview rooms were. He needed an update before he could prepare to sit down for an interview. Franks was by his side as they weaved through the hallways to the back of the building where there were interview rooms and holding cells for people to wait in before being transported to the county jail.

  "Detectives," Captain Marshall leaned against the hallway wall, speaking to one of the uniformed officers.

  "Morning." Franks nodded.

  "Captain." Angus paused to stand by them. "Where is he?"

  "Interrogation one. We're waiting on his attorney," the officer said.

  "You brought him in?" Franks asked.

  "About twenty minutes ago," the officer acknowledged.

  "What was he doing when you found him?" Angus asked.

  "Sitting on the bridge crying. He wasn't near the edge like he was going to jump. Just sitting in the middle of the bridge, with his knees pulled up to his chest and head bowed. He didn't even look up as we approached. He ignored all our orders. Didn't move when we told him to show us his hands or get down on his stomach. We finally got him in custody. He didn't fight, didn't say a word, just continued to cry." The officer shrugged. "We just got word that his laptop and a few other items we couldn't identify right away were found broken under the bridge. Our guess is he tossed them off, then sat down and was either trying to work up the nerve to jump or was waiting for us to come get him."

  "Do you think you can get a confession?" Captain Marshall asked.

  "No." Angus was sure about that. "Not with his attorney there."

  "Okay, so we know he's going to lawyer up and chances of getting anything out of him in questioning is not going to be easy. So, what do you think about allowing his parents in to see him? Do you think they might get him talking, even against the lawyer's advice?" Franks suggested.

  "Possibly. It's worked on cases in the past. Especially if the parents are a trigger for something. We could try. The attorney will object, but he doesn't get the final say. The parents do. I'm betting the need to speak to their son is stronger than their need to obey the attorney." Captain Marshall rubbed his hand over his chin. "Maybe give it a go with the attorney first, then let the parents as a nicety before we send him to holding."

  "I need more coffee before I do any of this." Franks turned and walked toward the small breakroom at the end of the hall.

  Angus followed, needing a moment to collect his thoughts before things got going. He still needed to run to his office and gather some notes and a file filled with whatever. It didn't matter if most of the pages in the file were blank. Johnny wouldn't see them. Angus just needed Johnny to think they had a ton of evidence against him. He took the cup of coffee Franks offered him and took a seat at the table. He pulled out his notebook and started making notes. "We have the eye drop box and receipt. What other physical evidence do we have?"

 

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